Lesson 8 *February 13-19
Comrades in Arms
Sabbath AfternoonRead for This Week's Study: Luke 5:6-8, 11; Mark 3:14; Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; 9:33-37; Matt. 20:20-28.
Memory Text: "And they said to one another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'"(Luke 24:32, NKJV).
From the earliest days of His ministry, Jesus didn't work alone. He chose humans to take part in preaching, teaching, and ministering. And though the four Gospels focus primarily on His life, death, and resurrection, they often do so in the context of His disciples, those closest to Him.
Thus, as the great controversy raged around Him, we can see it rage around the disciples, as well. Until the bitter end, when Jesus cried, "It is finished," Satan found it impossible to make Jesus stumble and fall. Christ's followers, however, were much easier prey. Their character flaws gave him inroads into them that the enemy readily exploited.
Pride, doubt, stubbornness, self-importance, pettiness-whatever the flaws, these opened the way for Satan. Half their problem was that they, having their own views of what they thought would and should happen, didn't listen to what Jesus said would happen.
They had a lot of hard lessons to learn. So, no doubt, do we.
Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 20.
Sunday February 14
The Call of Peter
When one considers the incredible issue at stake in the great controversy, it's amazing that Jesus would use human beings to aid Him in ministry, especially those as flawed as the ones He chose. Of course, if we consider the state of fallen humanity, no one He chose would have been without moral defects, anyway.
Walking along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, followed by a crowd of people, Jesus noticed two fishing boats whose owners were cleaning up after an unproductive night. These fishermen were already aware of Jesus. He had taught in their synagogue, where He astonished everyone with His words (Luke 4:31-32). Jesus had even cast out a demon from a man in their synagogue, and everyone was amazed (Luke 4:33-36). They had seen Jesus at Peter's house healing Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39), and later that evening, healing many others (Luke 4:40-41).
It is no wonder that a crowd was following Jesus along the beach. Jesus stepped into Peter's boat, asked Peter to push it out a little from the shore so that all could see Him, and then spoke to the people (Luke 5:3). When finished, He told Peter to throw his freshly cleaned net into the deep water. Peter surely thought that wouldn't achieve anything, but out of respect for Jesus, he did as He said.
Read Luke 5:6-8. What does Peter's reaction teach us about him and help us to understand why, despite Peter's obvious faults, Jesus chose him?
Peter's reaction is remarkable. Maybe it is parallel to Jacob wrestling with the angel-the same realization of Divine Presence, and an overwhelming sense of unworthiness (Gen. 32:24-30). One thing is clear. Peter became aware of his sinfulness because he knew that the Lord was there. His open confession of his sinfulness stands in stark contrast, for instance, to the reaction of some of the religious leaders, who referred to Jesus Himself as a sinner (see John 9:24) instead of acknowledging, even when in His presence, their own sinfulness.
Luke 5:11 says that they "forsook all" and followed Him, which meant that, when their nets were so full they were about to break, the men left it all to follow Jesus. What message is there for us here?
Monday February 15
"With Him"
When Jesus called the first disciples on the shores of Galilee, they had already witnessed His power over evil. They had seen Him challenge demons (Luke 4:34-36), heal the sick (Luke 4:38-41), rule over nature (Luke 5:4-6), reveal sin and then reassure Peter there was no need to fear (Luke 5:10).
Some time later, after praying all night (Luke 6:12), Jesus assembled His followers (disciples), and from that larger group chose twelve, calling them apostles (Luke 6:13; the Greek word apostolos means "to send out"). Before Jesus sent them out, He spent some time with them giving them instructions (Luke 9:1-5) that were similar to the details He gave to a larger group of 70 some time later (Luke 10:1-16).
Read Mark 3:14. What did Jesus want the apostles to do before sending them out on their own? What important message is in here for all of us?
How many times are modern disciples more eager to race off and work for Jesus rather than spend time with Him? The simple reality is that when we go out to fulfill the gospel commission, racing off with our own to-do list, we bypass the Savior of the world and try to replace Him with ourselves. It is too easy to have a "Messiah complex," thinking it is up to us to save the world, forgetting that Jesus alone is Savior.
One would not be too hard-pressed to say that so much of Christian history has been soiled by those who, professing the name of Jesus, had not spent time with Him, had not known Him, and had not been changed by Him. The last thing our world or the church needs are those running around in the name of Christ who have not been "with Him." One of Satan's greatest ploys in the great controversy has been his ability to co-opt those who claim the name of Christ and to use them to defile that name. Hence, before sending them off, Jesus wanted these men to be with Him in order, no doubt, to learn from Him.
What does it mean to us, today, without the physical, fleshly presence of Jesus, to be "with Him?" What are the practical real-time ways in which we today can have that time with Him?